Is Remote-Start Now Essential for the Oklahoma Winter?

Whether you agree or not, shorts and a hoodie are the basic winter weather gear in Southwest Oklahoma, no matter how cold it gets. Or at least, that's the ideal conditions for this time of year. The last week has challenged that belief... Single digits in the morning, below freezing even in the afternoon, but as long as your outdoor time is super-limited, it's doable.

The one contradictory point may be... waiting on the car to warm up.

It's Cold

Now, if you're not in the remote-start club, you might pop out to the car and start it up, then rush back inside to warm up while your car does too. I can't seem to remember to do that, or maybe I don't have the patience for it. Plus, my truck is usually spitting out warm air within a few blocks of the house anyway... but that's under normal Oklahoma winter conditions. These arctic temps make those first few miles a little uncomfortable.

Trying to focus on anything other than my numbing fingers, I wonder if remote-start has become an Oklahoma necessity. It's doubly confusing since I prefer less-modern vehicles that the government/NSA/CIA can't one day take over at will.

I swear I'm not crazy, but I think the government might be...

It Could Happen

Therein lies the great conundrum. If I add a smart-remote-start to my vintage vehicle, could 1984 actually happen?

I know, we're down a rabbit hole of thought at the moment, but this is just how I work through the process.

I think this past week, and the handful of sub-zero weeks we've had in the last couple of years might suggest remote-start could officially be necessary for Oklahomans. I know my Booner parents take full advantage of theirs year-round, and more than a few SWOK ranchers who make the button as part of their coffee ritual every winter morning... but they're the type to also keep a house at a balmy 78° to "keep the cold out."

Would you agree?